What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is usually considered as the more severe form of diabetes because it is insulin dependent. It is also commonly known as juvenile diabetes because it typically develops in children and teenagers. However, people in any age group can develop type 1 diabetes.

In general, diabetes can be better managed if an overweight or obese patient can reduce weight through bariatric surgery or other approaches. This is particularly true in case of type 2 diabetes, but not for type 1 diabetes. Patients in Orlando, Tampa, Altamonte Springs, Central Florida, and surrounding locations across the landscape have an opportunity to receive weight loss procedures from the accomplished and judicious bariatric surgeon Dr. Wiljon Beltre.

Negative Immune System Response

When a patient is suffering from type 1 diabetes, their body’s immune system will attack part of its own pancreas. Medical researchers are unable to determine why this happens, but the immune system mistakenly assumes the insulin producing cells in the pancreas as alien cells, and begins to destroy them.

This immune system attack is called an autoimmune disease. The cells which are under attack by the immune system in this case are known as islets. These islets sense glucose in the blood, and in response, produce the required amount of insulin to normalize blood sugar.

Insulin performs the role of a ‘key’ to unlock the cells and allow the glucose to enter. This enables a person to use glucose to gain energy. If insulin is not there, the key is absent. As a result, the sugar stays and builds up in the blood. This causes starvation of the body’s cells due to lack of glucose.

High levels of blood sugar, if left untreated, can cause damage to the kidneys, eyes, heart and nerves, and may even result in death in extreme cases. Bariatric surgery is considered a safe solution for overweight people who want to gain relief from the symptoms of diabetes.

Insulin Therapy

A patient suffering from type 1 diabetes may require insulin injections to have normal insulin levels in the body. This external source of insulin will serve as the key and deliver glucose to the body’s cells. One of the challenges with this treatment approach is that many times the patient will not know exactly how much insulin is required.

The amount of insulin required may depend on a number of factors, which include:

Food

Exercise

Stress

Emotions and general health

Balancing Act

Factors influencing the need for insulin significantly fluctuate on a daily basis. That makes insulin dosage a complex balancing act. If the patient takes excess of insulin, the body will burn too much glucose, leading to dangerously low levels of blood sugar. This condition called hypoglycemia can be potentially life threatening.

If too little insulin is used, the body can be starved of energy, and the blood sugar levels can increase dangerously. This condition is known as hyperglycemia, and can increase the risk of long term complications. Wonderful and highly capable bariatric surgeon Dr. Beltre receives patients from Orlando, Tampa, Altamonte Springs, Central Florida, and other areas in this region of the southeast for weight loss surgeries.

Important Note: If the weight is regained, diabetes and other conditions could return.